On hot sunny days, you need a beer that’s light, thirst-quenching, and not too boozy. It doesn’t have to be a pale lager or a cream ale: Sometimes the refresher you crave is a fruity sour, a tropical hop bomb, or even an easy-drinking American porter. Massachusetts breweries have plenty of crushable beers cold and ready for you this summer. Whether you’re heading for the beach, the trails, or just doing yard work, here’s how to fill your cooler.
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Northeast
Chill is a clean and crisp answer to a question Bent Water is often asked: “What’s the lightest beer you have?” The brewers’ favorite at an easy-drinking 4.2%, this approachable American light lager is appreciated by anyone who wants a beer that tastes like beer. Find it on draft at the Lynn taproom and in cans to-go and in local stores and area restaurants. Let’s go!
617 White Ale finishes crisp following bright orange and citrus flavors, balanced out by a slight bitterness. The 5%, medium-bodied unfiltered wheat beer is crafted with Bostonians in mind—for hot summer days at the ballpark or around a cozy fire on a cold New England night. Find it on draft and in cans to-go at Lord Hobo’s taprooms and in local stores and area restaurants. Let’s go!
Get a taste of Summer, an all-Amarillo hopped pale wheat beer by Navigation Brewing Co. The 5.4% crushers has flavor notes of orange and lemon peel. Find it on draft at the Lowell taproom and in cans to-go. Let’s go!
Coast to Coast is an American summer IPA brewed with pilsner malt and flaked oats for a soft mouthfeel. At 5.8%, Citra, Strata, and Talus hops provide big flavors and aromas of tropical citrus, passion fruit, strawberry, and pink grapefruit. Find it on draft at the Ipswich taproom and in cans to-go and in local stores and area restaurants. Let’s go!
Contract brewers Wandering Soul craft a light, easy-drinking IPA called Melody Maker with with Citra, Mosaic and Motueka hops—and just 4.9% ABV. No taproom to visit for this one, but look for Wandering Soul cans in local stores and area restaurants.
Metro Boston
Have some adventure fuel from Aeronaut: The Somerville-based brewing company has plenty of crushers on deck for summer. Robot Crush is an award-winning American pilsner. Hopped with Citra, the aromatic offering clocks 5.1% with flavors of biscuit and honey balanced with hints of citrus. Hop Hop & Away is a year-round session hazy cold-steeped with Citra and Mosaic hops (4.6%). (Into the) Citra Galaxy is another 4.6% session IPA with hints of peach and tangerine. Pina Colada IPA is a little boozier at 7.1% but no less summer-friendly, fruited with natural flavors of coconut and pineapple. Speaking of fruit: Tropical Storm on a Sour Planet is for anyone who appreciates tropical flavors. Blood orange, passion fruit, pineapple, papaya, cherry, and black currant swirl together in this 4.9% kettle sour. Find these brews at Aeronaut’s taprooms and beer garden as well as in cans at local stores and restaurants. Let’s go!
A new brew at Idle Hands captures the vibrant essence of summertime blueberries. Blueberry Ale is a 5.5% leisure time beverage garnished with fresh fruit in the Malden taproom. Let’s go!
Long Live Beerworks has a couple lagers on draft at its new Boston taproom, including the exclusive ROX Pils (5.2%). But the Providence-based beermakers will defy expectations for a summer beer with Youth Revolt, a 6% IPA. Find this upcoming release at the Roxbury taproom and in cans at local stores. Let’s go!
A longtime staple of Boston’s summer beer fridge, Whirlpool is a hazy pale ale that explodes with fruit flavors while staying super easy to drink. Find this brew at Night Shift’s taprooms and beer gardens as well as in cans at local stores and restaurants. Let’s go!
Just a few simple ingredients bring the flavor to Portico’s Two Point Pils: Two malts (Pilsner and Carapils) and two hops (Hallertauer Mittelfrüh and Wakatu). Floral but dry with medium hop bitterness, its refreshing effervescence and lighter body make this German-style pilsner just what you want to reach for on a hot day. Find it at the Somerville taproom and in cans at local stores. Let’s go!
Samuel Adams Summer Ale needs no introduction, but we’ll provide one anyway. The Boston-born brewery’s seasonal favorite is a 5.3% American wheat ale that’s crisp easy-drinking with a citrus blend and a hint of pepper from West African grains of paradise. Find it in Sam’s Boston taprooms in Jamaica Plain and Faneuil Hall and in stores and area restaurants. Let’s go!
Southeast & Cape Cod
Cape Cod’s first brewery is a year-round destination, but nobody’s surprised the Hyannis spot has plenty of summer crushers on offer. Cape Cod Beach Blonde is a polished golden ale at 4.9% with a hint of toasted malt character and a clean finish. Cape Cod Summer Ale is light and refreshing yet spicy and fruity as a traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen (5.5%). Pilsener was originally brewed for baseball season on Cape Cod but was such a hit (get it?) it’s now year-round. The only lager in the brewery’s lineup, this Bohemian-style Pilsener is clean, crisp, and crushable. Find all these brews at Cape Cod Beer’s taproom, local stores, and area restaurants. Let’s go!
Simple is satisfying in the case of Pils-nerd. IndieFerm’s summer go-to is a delicious beer that just tastes like beer. The year-round offering is light and crisp at 4.5%, making it a quintessentially crushable lawnmower or beach beer. Find it at the Plymouth taproom and at local stores and restaurants. Let’s go!
Get into Leisure Mode with Mayflower’s light, hoppy, and hazy New England IPA (4.5%). Crispy Business is another crushable choice from the Plymouth beermakers. Also 4.5%, it’s a smooth and dry Kölsch-style ale with a delicate and pleasant aroma of apple and pear. Find these bevvies at the taproom, local stores, and restaurants. Let’s go!
A fan- and staff favorite, Seatown Lager is balanced, flavorful, and ultimately crushable with a balanced blend of malts and bright, floral hops. The 4.2% fan- and staff favorite is named in honor of Seattle, where Untold founder Matt Elder began his brewing career; and pays homage to the ocean. Find it at the Scituate taproom, local stores, and restaurants. Let’s go!
Metrowest
Brewed with Maine malts, oats, and Merrimack Valley wildflower honey (plus European hops and lemon peel), Farm Road is a 4.5% saison perfect for any table set for summer in New England. Find it on draft at the Maynard beer garden and in cans to-go and in local stores and area restaurants. Let’s go!
Goody Two Shoes Kölsch is what to reach for when a trip to Germany isn’t in the cards. Exhibit A's authentic tribute to Cologne, the city where the style originated, is crisp and clean. The 4.5% flagship brew is lightly lemony with fresh-baked flavors followed by a dry finish. Need your hazy hops fix? Just A Kitten is a 5% New England IPA with light orange on the nose and a peachy orange flavor with a light hint of malt shining through. Find both on draft at the Framingham taproom and in cans to-go and in local stores and area restaurants. Let’s go!
Refreshing, golden Porch Fest matches well with live music and friendly jam sessions. The 5.5% festbier has zesty lemon and citrus notes. Bring the fest to any porch this summer with 12-packs and tallboys available at the Framingham taproom and local stores. Let’s go!
Lost Shoe Brewing & Roasting Company
Crisp and crushable Lost Shoe Light is a 4% American light lager brewed with barley, rice, water, and hops. It’s a taproom exclusive from Lost Shoe Brewing, on tap in Marlborough and available in cans to-go. Let’s go!
Get ready for the Summer Olympics with a gold medalist: Medusa’s Duchovni Czech-style Pilsner earned that honor at the 2016 World Beer Cup. Bubbly with a clean, dry finish, it’s a crushable 5.2%. For something a little different, quaff the bright citrus flavors of Rapid Refresh: American Wheat Ale with Lemon & Orange Peel (4.6%). Find both brews at the Hudson taproom and beer garden and in local stores and restaurants. Let’s go!
The summer crusher in Start Line Brewing’s Hop Load IPA series is evocatively named: Hazy Smalls is a juicy session ale that crosses the finish at just 4.5%. Find it on draft at the Hopkinton taproom and in cans to-go and in local stores and area restaurants. Let’s go!
Central
The aptly named Crush It cream ale is light-bodied and easy-drinking at 4.2%. Find cans at the Sturbridge taproom. Let’s go!
Dirigible Brewing Company
Lots of brews at this experimental haven in Littleton are low-ABV, like the Lighter Than Air kettle sour beer series, super sessionable around 3.5%. Leather Satchel is a ~2.5% (!!) dark American table beer that has dark, malty notes while still being totally crushable. And Little Zep is a sessionable, hazy IPA with tropical fruit flavors and a strong citrus backbone. Let’s go!
Even bad-weather days are grand with Rainy Day Fund Cloudberry Blonde Ale. A traditional blonde ale with just the right balance of sweet and tart from the cloudberry make it a perfect summer beer. Find it in cans at the Millbury taproom and in local stores and restaurants. Let’s go!
Guava Bunga! is a summer favorite at Worcester’s Redemption Rock. This guava and lime sour ale is a tropical treat with a dry, fizzy and puckering finish. Let’s go!
Sterling Summer Ale gets a summery jolt from lemon and orange peel. This satisfying crusher lands at 5.1% and is available from the taproom, local stores, and restaurants. Let’s go!
Wormtown’s Beach Fix Summer Ale is a refreshing Kolsch that’s easy on the palate. Find the 4.5% crusher at the Worcester and Foxboro taprooms and at local stores and restaurants. Let’s go!
Western Mass. & the Berkshires
The addition of real lemon juice makes Summer Shandy an especially refreshing wheat ale. Abandoned Building’s crushable blend is 4.6%. Find it at the Easthampton taproom as well as local stores. Let’s go!
The Brewery at Four Star Farms
Dawn Song could be compared to “sunshine in a glass,” goes the description for this sessionable summer ale with citrus-forward aromas and a soft finish. It’s also made with hops and malt entirely grown onsite at this Northfield brewery! Let’s go!
Named for this Turners Falls brewery’s favorite episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Kitten With A Whip is a 5% Munich-style helles lager that’s light and refreshing yet full of flavor and body. Let’s go!